Chapter 604: Raging Inferno
Chapter 604: Raging Inferno
September 25, 2017
When Lu Hai Kong saw Xi Zhi Cai lying in a pool of blood, he froze, and the world seemed to become incredibly surreal.
After a long while, when Lu Hai Kong realized the truth, the initial joy he felt upon learning that Zhang Jiao might have been severely injured or even killed was instantly swept away. His handsome face contorted with rage, and a violent aura erupted from him.
At this moment, anger and regret overwhelmed Lu Hai Kong. He even began to regret his decision to go to Julu.
Why did Lu Hai Kong go to Julu in the first place? Ninety percent of the reason was for the Heaven-Altering Life-Changing Pill, and to change Xi Zhi Cai's small, frail body. If not for this, with Lu Hai Kong's caution, knowing the terror of Zhang Jiao, how could he have possibly gone to Julu?
After his trip to Julu, Lu Hai Kong only obtained a half-finished Heaven-Altering Life-Changing Pill. Not only did he bring back hidden dangers, but he also left Xi Zhi Cai in such a pitiful state. How could Lu Hai Kong not be furious? How could he not regret it?
Fortunately, at this moment, Lu Hai Kong's rationality was not overwhelmed by regret and anger. After all, Xi Zhi Cai was still lying there.
He quickly calmed himself down and summoned Chen Ping to gather all the best physicians in Handan to treat Xi Zhi Cai. For now, nothing was more important than saving Xi Zhi Cai's life!
As Chen Ping and the physicians worked, thankfully, Xi Zhi Cai soon regained consciousness.
Although Xi Zhi Cai had woken up, his body became even weaker after all the commotion. One of the physicians even told Lu Hai Kong that with proper care, Xi Zhi Cai could live for three years, but if not, he might not survive beyond a year.
When the physician gave Lu Hai Kong this conclusion, he was immediately knocked unconscious by the terrifying aura emanating from Lu Hai Kong.
"Master Lu, my master wishes to see you."
Just as Lu Hai Kong's aura was at its peak, a servant from Xi Zhi Cai's household arrived.
Upon hearing this, Lu Hai Kong's raging aura instantly subsided. He patted his face, allowing the anger and guilt on his face to fade, trying to calm himself down as much as possible before entering Xi Zhi Cai's room.
When Lu Hai Kong entered, Xi Zhi Cai was half-reclining on the bed, his complexion slightly better than before, but still frighteningly pale.
"How is it? Have you broken Zhang Jiao's seal?" Xi Zhi Cai asked Lu Hai Kong the moment he saw him.
Looking at Xi Zhi Cai's pale face and hearing his first question, Lu Hai Kong's emotions, which he had just managed to calm down, surged again, making his heart incredibly complex. Anger, guilt, and self-blame flooded him.
To outsiders, Lu Hai Kong was an incredibly domineering and unrestrained man.
But to those close to him, his heart was always soft, especially towards someone like Xi Zhi Cai, who was both a mentor and a friend. Lu Hai Kong treated him like family.
Although Xi Zhi Cai had never truly pledged his loyalty to Lu Hai Kong, the bond between them had transcended the typical lord-vassal relationship.
It even surpassed the relationship between kin. Perhaps Xi Zhi Cai subconsciously saw Lu Hai Kong as a continuation of his own life, and Lu Hai Kong held a significant place in Xi Zhi Cai's heart.
That was why Xi Zhi Cai immediately sensed Lu Hai Kong's dangerous state and frantically searched for a solution, disregarding his own well-being and forcibly using that powerful formation. It was also why, upon waking up, the first thing he asked Lu Hai Kong about was Zhang Jiao's seal.
At this moment, facing Xi Zhi Cai, Lu Hai Kong struggled to hold back his tears. His throat trembled for a long time, but he eventually erupted.
"Who gave you permission to do this? Did you get my consent?"
"Do you know how dangerous this is? Do you know your current state? What if something happens to you? Do you still want to live?"
"It's just a matter of Zhang Jiao sealing a part of my memory. It's a minor issue. Why are you making such a fuss? Even if my head were split open, I wouldn't die. Was it necessary for you to take matters into your own hands and meddle?"
Lu Hai Kong did not express gratitude or praise; he only cursed hysterically, irrationally, and unreasonably!
Anyone witnessing this scene would be shocked and might even doubt their eyes. After all, in the eyes of others, Lu Hai Kong had always been a domineering and powerful overlord, and it was hard to imagine that he had such a childlike side.
As Lu Hai Kong continued cursing, this man who could be considered a tough guy, who had not frowned even in the midst of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, had his eyes slightly reddened.
The scene in the room was eerie.
One man was cursing, his eyes turning red, while the other, being scolded, had a warm smile on his pale face.
After a while, Lu Hai Kong's curses gradually subsided, and the agitated emotions on his face calmed down. He walked over and sat in front of Xi Zhi Cai.
(End of Chapter 604)
The room fell silent, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.
"What about Zhang Jiao's seal?"
In the silence, Xi ZhiCai repeated his previous words, his face seeming even paler, and his tone more feeble.
After this outburst, Lu HaiKong felt a mix of frustration and helplessness. He remained silent for a while before finally responding.
"It's been released. Also, your setup should have killed Zhang Jiao, or at least severely injured him!"
Lu HaiKong subconsciously chose not to tell Xi ZhiCai that Zhang Jiao's seal hadn't been completely lifted. Given Xi ZhiCai's understanding of Lu HaiKong, if it were any other time, Xi ZhiCai would have known how much truth there was in Lu HaiKong's words.
But this time, Xi ZhiCai didn't see anything amiss.
Upon hearing Lu HaiKong's response, Xi ZhiCai nodded in relief, and the two fell silent once more.
This silence lasted for a while, until Lu HaiKong felt something was wrong and looked up, only to find that Xi ZhiCai's head had already drooped.
Lu HaiKong was startled and quickly went to check on Xi ZhiCai, only to find that Xi ZhiCai had fainted.
It was clear that Xi ZhiCai had woken up earlier not because he had fully recovered, but because he was concerned about Lu HaiKong's situation. Xi ZhiCai, in that state, must have been extremely exhausted. He had been forcing himself to stay awake, awaiting confirmation from Lu HaiKong, and only then did he faint again.
Seeing Xi ZhiCai faint again, Lu HaiKong remained silent for over half an hour by Xi ZhiCai's bedside before finally leaving.
Lu HaiKong stepped out of Xi ZhiCai's room and immediately gave orders to Chen Ping, who had approached him.
"First, have the Tomb Raiders cease their operations and start transporting our spoils back."
"Second, send a message to Dong Zhuo, informing him that in three days, I will dispatch troops to Guangping and Julu."
"Third, have Gao Shun gather the Wuyuan Army, Immersion Camp, Royal Guard Corps, and Blood Bath Army, and prepare for the march to Guangping and Julu within three days!"
Lu HaiKong's tone was calm, but Chen Ping, who had been by his side, could sense the simmering rage within his lord, a fury capable of tearing apart the heavens and earth. Chen Ping dared not delay and quickly took note before springing into action.
After issuing his commands, Lu HaiKong turned to Wang Yue, who had arrived at an unknown time.
"Mr. Wang, I'm about to dispatch troops to Guangping and Julu. I'll leave Xi ZhiCai in your care. Please look after him."
Wang Yue was not one to miss a thing. Facing Lu HaiKong at this moment, Wang Yue's expression turned solemn as he replied, "My lord, rest assured. As long as I, Wang Yue, am alive, I will never let any harm come to Xi ZhiCai!"
"Then I leave him in your care," Lu HaiKong said, nodding firmly at Wang Yue before leaving.
He had preparations to make—preparations for the march to Guangping and Julu, including provisions and supplies for several tens of thousands of troops, which was no easy task.
Lu HaiKong had not planned to march to Guangping and Julu before, so he hadn't made any preparations. With only three days, the time was tight.
Lu HaiKong couldn't afford to delay any further. His heart burned with fury, and he was well aware that Xi ZhiCai's injuries were due to his own underestimation of Zhang Jiao during the Julu trip. Had he not fallen for Zhang Jiao's scheme, Xi ZhiCai wouldn't have ended up like this.
Lu HaiKong acknowledged this responsibility and kept it in mind, but he didn't intend to shoulder it himself. Unable to vent his anger, he directed it towards the Yellow Turban Army, making them his target for revenge and release.
Initially, Lu HaiKong had planned to let the Yellow Turban Rebellion continue for a while, allowing him to gather some wealth and recruit talents. But now, he was no longer in the mood for that. His sole desire was to annihilate the Yellow Turban Army and Zhang Jiao!
Acting on anger was not a wise decision, and Lu HaiKong was aware of this.
However, knowing was one thing, and acting was another. Lu HaiKong, having established himself as a regional overlord for just two years, was still young and inexperienced, despite his growth with Xi ZhiCai's help. His heart was not yet hardened, and his blood remained hot.
Seeing Xi ZhiCai lying in bed, Lu HaiKong couldn't convince himself otherwise or find reasons to justify inaction. When his blood boiled, reason, prudence, and the bigger picture could all go to hell!
For the first time, Lu HaiKong felt a genuine desire to wipe out the Yellow Turban Army from the face of the earth.
"Zhang Jiao, since you've hurt my brother, I'll destroy your entire army!"
Chapter end
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